Galentine's party ideas
for the friends who show up all year.

Who a Galentine's party is for

The original episode was about women celebrating each other, and plenty of groups keep it that way. Plenty of others invite friends of any gender. Either works if the invitation says which it is. Singles and coupled friends are equally welcome, because nobody is being asked about their love life.

20 Galentine's party ideas, and what guests actually do

Pick one as the anchor. A theme earns its place when it tells guests what they will make, eat or take home.

1. Galentine's brunch: the Leslie Knope original. Guests arrive late morning, build plates from a sweet-and-savory spread, and linger over coffee. The menu with quantities is below.
2. DIY flower bar: buy three or four bunches of grocery-store flowers plus greenery, set out jars, shears and twine, and each guest builds a small bouquet to take home. Budget about $40 for eight people.
3. Spa night at home: guests bring a robe and slippers; you supply sheet masks, a foot soak in basins, nail polish and cucumber water. Let people drift between stations.
4. Rom-com bracket: list 16 rom-coms on a big sheet of paper, vote head to head in rounds, and watch the winner. Friendship movies count, so it never turns into a referendum on romance.
5. Cookie decorating: bake heart-shaped sugar cookies the day before, then set out three colors of icing in squeeze bottles and bowls of sprinkles. Everyone decorates six, eats two and boxes the rest.
6. Paint-and-sip: small canvases, acrylic paints and a simple tutorial video projected on the TV. Pour wine for those who want it and a sparkling berry mocktail for everyone else; the paintings are funnier than anyone expects.
7. Craft night: one project with a clear finish, such as embroidered hearts on tea towels, clay trinket dishes or pressed-flower bookmarks. Buy pre-cut supplies.
8. Karaoke night: a lyrics video on the TV and a cheap microphone. Group songs first; solos only for volunteers.
9. Clothes and thrift swap: each guest brings five clean items they no longer wear. Take turns choosing and donate the rest.
10. Letters-to-friends station: a table of nice cards, envelopes and pens where guests write short notes to each other, or to a friend who could not come. Mail them the following week.
11. Pajama breakfast-for-dinner: an evening version for groups who cannot do mornings: pancakes, eggs to order and pajamas required.
12. Grazing board build: each guest brings one cheese, fruit or snack and the group arranges one big board together. The Grazing Board Build-Off plan turns it into a friendly contest.
13. Waffle bar: two waffle irons, a batter you make ahead, and toppings from strawberries to whipped cream.
14. Afternoon tea: three teas, finger sandwiches, scones and mismatched teacups from a thrift store. The tea party ideas guide has a full menu.
15. Book club swap: everyone brings a wrapped book they loved with a one-line note inside, and books are swapped by a numbers draw.
16. Vision board afternoon: a stack of old magazines, scissors, glue sticks and poster board. Guests build boards for the year and share only if they want to.
17. Dumpling or pasta-making night: one person leads, everyone folds or shapes, and dinner is whatever survives. If your group also marks the Lunar New Year that month, see Lunar New Year party ideas.
18. Friendship bracelet bar: embroidery floss, letter beads and elastic cord. Guests make one for themselves and one to trade.
19. Fondue night: one pot of cheese fondue and one of chocolate, with bread, vegetables, fruit and marshmallows for dipping.
20. Morning walk and coffee: for busy groups, meet at a park for an hour-long walk and finish at a café or with thermoses of coffee and pastries from home.

Galentine's party ideas at home on a small budget

Almost every idea above works in a living room. The cheapest formats are the potluck brunch, the letters station, the clothes swap and the rom-com bracket, because guests bring most of the material. For pricier ones like the flower bar or paint-and-sip, split supplies and say so on the invite.

Galentine's party games that are opt-in, not cringe

Good games celebrate the group instead of putting one person on the spot. Every one of these lets people pass, and none asks about dating.

• Compliment cards: 4 to 15 players, 15 minutes. Tape a card to each guest's back, and everyone writes one specific compliment on each card. Guests read their own card at home or out loud if they like.
• Who said it: 6 to 15 players, 20 minutes. Each guest answers three light prompts on slips ("my most-used emoji", "the snack I'd bring to a desert island"), the host reads them, and the room guesses who wrote each.
• Rom-com quote trivia: teams of three or four, 20 minutes. Read 15 famous lines and guess the movie. Check your quotes against the films beforehand.
• Two truths and a dream: 4 to 12 players, 15 minutes. Two true facts plus one thing you hope to do this year; the group guesses which is the dream.
• Friendship superlatives: any size, 10 minutes. Write one award per guest in advance ("most likely to remember your birthday", "best playlist") and hand them out with a paper crown.
• Galentine's bingo: any size, all party. Squares describe things that happen ("someone quotes Leslie Knope", "a dog appears on a phone", "a second cup of coffee"), never a person's habits.
• How well do you know the host: 6 to 15 players, 15 minutes. Ten questions about you, answered on paper. The full plan keeps it comfortable.

Skip drinking games and anything that ranks bodies, exes or relationship status. More options are in party game ideas, and the party game generator can fill a slot for any headcount.

Galentine's brunch ideas: a menu for 8, with quantities

One sweet main, one savory main and sides, with modest leftovers.

• Baked French toast casserole: one 9x13-inch pan, made with a 1-pound loaf of brioche or challah, 8 eggs and 2 cups of milk. Assemble it the night before and bake it as guests arrive.
• Vegetable frittata: 12 eggs, 1 cup of shredded cheese, and 2 to 3 cups of cooked spinach, peppers or mushrooms, baked in a second 9x13 pan. It is the vegetarian main.
• Bacon or sausage: 1 1/2 pounds of bacon, baked on two sheet pans, plus a package of plant-based sausages.
• Fruit: about 3 pounds mixed: strawberries, raspberries, grapes and clementines.
• Pastries: 16 mini croissants or muffins, two per person.
• Yogurt bar: a 32-ounce tub of plain yogurt, 2 cups of granola, honey and some of the berries.
• Green salad: one 5-ounce box of greens with lemon and olive oil, so the table is not all sweet.
• Something heart-shaped: two dozen sugar cookies, or the decorated ones from the cookie station.

The drinks bar, with an alcohol-free version of everything

• Coffee and tea: two full 12-cup pots over the morning, plus a box of mixed tea bags and oat milk.
• Mimosa and mocktail bar: one or two bottles of sparkling wine, two bottles of sparkling cider or alcohol-free sparkling wine, a half-gallon of orange juice and a quart of grapefruit or cranberry juice. Label the bottles so guests can mix either version.
• Berry spritzer: muddled raspberries, lemon and sparkling water in a pitcher, good on its own or topped with wine.

Ask about allergies on the invite and label anything with nuts. For other sizes, the party food calculator scales a shopping list; more make-ahead options are in finger food ideas.

Galentine's decor on a budget

• Paper heart garland: pink, red and kraft paper hearts on string. Cutting them can be the arrival activity.
• Grocery-store flowers: two bunches split across jars beat one big arrangement, and they double as the flower bar.
• A kraft paper table runner: label the dishes on it and leave pens out for doodles and notes.
• Polaroid or phone-photo wall: print a few photos of the group from past years and clip them to string with clothespins.
• Warm lighting: string lights and candles do more than any themed tableware.

More low-cost ideas are in party decoration ideas.

Galentine's gift ideas under $10, mostly homemade

Gifts are optional. If you exchange them, set a cap on the invite so nobody overspends.

• A handwritten letter: the gift people keep longest. Name one specific thing you appreciate.
• Cookie mix in a jar: layered dry ingredients with the recipe on a tag.
• A single wrapped stem: one tulip or carnation in kraft paper with a ribbon.
• Bath soak: Epsom salt, a few drops of essential oil and dried petals in a small jar.
• A friendship bracelet: made at the party or the night before.
• A printed photo: a picture from a day you spent together, in a cheap frame.
• A mixtape playlist: a shared playlist with a handwritten track list on a card.

For small take-home bags, see party bag ideas.

A 3-hour Galentine's party timeline

For a brunch running 11:00 to 2:00; shift it for an evening party.

• The night before: assemble the French toast, bake cookies, chill drinks, set the table.
• 10:00: French toast and frittata into the oven, coffee on, flowers in jars.
• 11:00: doors open, drinks bar and bingo cards out, heart garland cutting for early arrivals.
• 11:30: brunch is served. Eat and talk; no activities during the meal.
• 12:15: the anchor activity: flower bar, cookie decorating, swap or craft.
• 1:00: one or two opt-in games, such as compliment cards and friendship superlatives.
• 1:30: letters station and gift exchange, with coffee refills.
• 2:00: official end. Hand out leftovers, bouquets and cookie boxes.

Galentine's for long-distance friends

A video-call Galentine's works for friends in different cities if it has some structure.

• Mail a small box a week ahead: a tea bag, a sheet mask, a letter and a cookie. Everyone opens it together on the call.
• Pick a time that works across time zones: a weekend morning on one coast is late morning on the other.
• Cook the same recipe: share a simple brunch recipe in advance and eat together on camera.
• Watch a movie in sync: start the same film at the same moment and keep a group chat going.
• Play camera-friendly games: who said it, rom-com quote trivia and friendship superlatives all work on video.
• Keep it to 90 minutes: long calls tire people out; end while everyone still wants more.

Galentine's and Super Bowl weekend 2027

In 2027, Galentine's Day falls on Saturday, February 13, and Super Bowl LXI is scheduled for Sunday, February 14, Valentine's Day itself. That makes Saturday the clear day for a Galentine's brunch: nobody has to choose between friends and the game. If your group wants both, host brunch Saturday and a relaxed watch party on Sunday; Super Bowl party ideas has the menu and games.